1. WHO Africa

Feature Stories

Addressing heavy metal poisoning in Nigeria

Abuja ‒ It all began with a mild stomach ache, something seven-year-old Auwali Abubakar’s parents initially dismissed as a minor issue. 

But as the days passed, the pain intensified and Auwali’s stomach began to swell. He experienced leg pain which affected his ability to walk, became lethargic and lost his appetite.   

“I felt helpless as I watched my son suffer. Nobody knew what type of disease it was and no one could help him,” says his father Mallam Abubakar, from Zamfara State, in northwestern Nigeria.

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Strengthening care services for chronic diseases in Seychelles

Victoria – After a long day at work, Brenda Mirabeau loves to put on her favourite music and dance around the house. So, six years ago, when her toes went numb and she could no longer walk around at home, her family was alarmed. “I was so cold that I was shivering… that’s when they rushed me to the hospital,” she says. After emergency care, Mirabeau was diagnosed with diabetes, a condition that runs in her family.

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Namibia: Eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and hepatitis B

Aazehe Tjozongoro was devastated when she tested HIV positive during her first pregnancy, even contemplating suicide because she felt so desperate. Seven years later, however, her child is HIV-negative, and they are both living a healthy life, thanks to Namibia’s commitment to building a generation free of the triple public health threats of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis.
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Protecting children against hepatitis B with birth-dose vaccine

Cotonou ‒ Throughout her ten years as a midwife, Françoise Kouveglo, who works at Houenoussou Health Centre in Cotonou, Benin, has witnessed some highly emotional moments in the delivery room. “Giving birth is a deeply powerful moment with lots of strong sensations, but what stands out for me is to make sure that the baby is born safely and that both mother and baby are in good health,” she says.

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Rallying action to curb cholera in Nigeria’s Lagos state

Comfort Ajayi, a mother of three and resident of Lagos state says she is keenly observing hygiene and taking steps to protect her family from cholera, which has been reported in all the 20 localities of Nigeria’s second most populous state. “In this critical time, I am also guiding my children on how to live responsibly,” she says. 
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From fear to fulfilment: a phlebotomist’s first blood donation

Brazzaville - Mavie Ndama is a phlebotomist at the National Blood Transfusion Centre in Brazzaville, the Republic of the Congo. She has spent years working at blood donation drives and transfusion stations, drawing blood from countless donors. Yet, despite her vital role in the blood donation process, she had never found the courage to donate blood herself.

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Congo reinforces health emergency preparedness and response

The Republic of the Congo today finalized a review of its national health emergency preparedness and response capacity, an initiative to identify and swiftly close gaps to strengthen fitness to withstand future shocks, while maintaining delivery of routine health care.
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Recommitting to blood donation

Mbabane – Marcia Motsa, a human-resources professional and mother of two, from Manzini, Eswatini, started her journey with blood donation during high school, when the local blood bank visited and provided detailed information about the process. Although she stopped donating after school as work and family shifted her focus, in 2023 her commitment was reignited by a presentation given by the Ministry of Health at her workplace. 

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